Kingsford shut out

October 5, 2013

MARQUETTE - Offense usually gets all the headlines in Marquette, but the Marquette Senior High School defense took center stage in the Redmen's 24-0 shutout of Kingsford on Friday evening at William R. Hart Stadium.

Article Photos

Adelle Whitefoot/Mining Journal PhotoKingsford’s Joe Hofer throws the ball down field after recovering from a bad snap during the second quarter against Marquette Friday.

The MSHS offense has put up some prolific numbers with junior quarterback Brett Place, such as his eight touchdown passes in the season's first two games or the 63 points the team scored on Gladstone a week ago.

On Friday, the Redmen recorded just their second shutout in Dave L'Huillier's fourth year heading the program, nursing a 7-0 lead at the end of the third quarter before exploding for 17 fourth-period points.

More importantly, Marquette clinched a spot in MHSAA playoffs at 5-1, since the Redmen's eight-game schedule means they needed just five wins to insure their entry.

Just as significant to L'Huillier and his players is that MSHS stayed alive in the Great Northern Conference title hunt, improving to 2-1 with a season-ending game against Menominee that could give them a share of the crown.

L'Huillier was excited about the historic aspect of the game, too.

"This is only the second time in 25 years Marquette has beaten Kingsford, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's the first time we've ever shut them out," he said.

A check of records at the www.michigan-football.com website bears that out - before the Redmen's narrow 20-16 victory in 2011, the previous MSHS win over Kingsford was 14-12 in 1987, some 26 years ago.

Neither team had even 90 yards of offense before intermission, and L'Huillier felt fortunate to have a seven-point lead.

The game's first three possessions resulted in three-and-outs before Marquette moved the ball 62 yards in five plays, culminating in senior wideout Shane Duquette's 38-yard touchdown catch from Place.

"The defender bit on my fake," Duquette said about getting open with a move near the goal line, then stretching both hands over his head and pulling in the pass.

Junior Max Bednarek's first of three extra-point kicks made it 7-0.

The defense allowed the Redmen to preserve that lead despite blunders on offense and special teams later in the half.

On fourth down with the first quarter nearly over, Kingsford junior Tyler Roberts went untouched and blocked Bednarek's punt, knocking the ball back 23 yards.

Roberts then ran the ball twice, moving the ball to the 4 before Flivvers junior QB Joe Hofer threw back-to-back incomplete passes to come up empty.

"We put pressure on their quarterback all night long," L'Huillier said. "He extended some plays with his legs."

On the Redmen's next possession, Place tried to get his team out of the hole with a long third-down pass that was intercepted near midfield by Kingsford junior Dan Harrington.

With help from a Flivvers penalty, Kingsford went backward despite keeping the ball for seven plays, punting on 4th-and-27.

"We haven't done anything on offense for two weeks now," KHS coach Chris Hofer said after his team also lost to Menominee 42-13 a week ago. "(Marquette) gave us what I thought we'd get, they were mostly playing their base defense."

The defenses grudgingly gave up some yards, but no points, through the end of the third quarter.

Then on the first play of the final period, Place hooked up again with Duquette, who caught the ball in the back of the end zone on the dead run for a 30-yard score. Bednarek's kick made it 14-0.

Bednarek sealed the victory with a 41-yard field goal with 7:11 left to make it a three-score game, 17-0.

Place, who added a one-yard sneak a few minutes later for the final points, completed 10 of 20 passes for 188 yards. Senior Kurt Burmeister caught six of those for 104 yards and Duquette three for 80 yards.

The Flivvers (4-2, 0-2) had 80 yards rushing, led by junior Brody Sundquist with 31 yards in 14 attempts, and 82 yards through the air on 7-of-21 passing by Joe Hofer.